Tunnel diodes are heavily doped P-N diodes in which electron tunneling from the conduction band in the N-type material to the valence band in the P-type region produces a region of negative resistance. This negative-resistance region is the most important area of operation. As the voltage is increased, the current decreases. This feature makes tunneling diodes especially useful in oscillators and radio frequency (RF) applications.
Tunnel Diodes: Learn more